Bingo-type games are known in the art. For example, as is known, a traditional bingo game is played with bingo cards, which typically have a 5×5 grid. More specifically, this grid includes 5 columns and 5 rows, and the letters, “B,” “I,” “N,” “G,” and “O” are at the top of each column. Under each letter are five numbers, with the exception of the center space which is typically a free space. Therefore, there are typically 24 numbers. The numbers on the each bingo card are randomly established so that each bingo card is unique. The bingo cards further include a predetermined pattern or patterns, which are typically represented by a darkened segment in the traditional bingo game. Numbers are called, e.g. “I-20”, and players of the game daub, or otherwise, mark-off the number if they have it. Once a player achieves the predetermined pattern or patterns, and the player actually recognizes this achievement, he or she wins and the game is over.
Other bingo-type games include modern variations of the traditional bingo-type game. Some of these modern variations are played in a casino or gaming hall at a client, i.e., terminal. The client is also referred to as an electronic play station. These modern variations have various attractions and designs, including aesthetic symbols and both audio and visual animations, to attract players thereby increasing a level of play. As alluded to above, these modern variations are bingo-type games. However, there is a recognition throughout industry that players of even the modern bingo-type games do not consider these games as exciting and attractive as standard slot machines. Simply stated, the bingo-type games do not look and operate like standard slot machines. For this reason, the bingo-type games of the prior art do not peak the interest of a patron of the casino or gaming hall. This impacts the level of play as compared to that of the standard slot machines and is, therefore, undesirable to both the industry and players.
To this end, there have been efforts to maintain a bingo-type game yet still create the ‘appearance’ of a standard slot machine to a player of the bingo-type game. These efforts have, more specifically, focused on displaying a representation of a result of the bingo-type game, i.e., whether a player has won or lost, through a technological aid at the electronic play station. Therefore, although the player is playing the bingo-type game, and any payouts to the player are based on this bingo-type game, the player pays particular attention to what the technological aid reveals, i.e., the player pays particular attention the representation of the result. However, to date, the technological aids have been limited to video-based technological aids. Examples of video-based technological aids are disclosed in United States Publication No. US 2002/0132661 A1 to Lind et al. The video-based technological aids of Lind et al. are disposed on a video screen where the bingo-type game (including the bingo card and the called numbers) is also displayed and not separate from this video screen (see, for example, FIG. 1, labeled “Prior Art”). For this reason, these technological aids are particularly cumbersome. Simply stated, the spinning reels, playing cards, roulette wheel, die, keno board, and horse race of Lind et al. are limited to video-based technological aids.
It is recognized throughout the industry that video-based technological aids are deficient for a variety of reasons. One of the most important reasons is that the typical casino or gaming hall patron prefers devices that are perceived to be mechanical-based devices as compared to devices that are perceived to be video-based devices, such as video-based technological aids. For instance, when give the option between a standard video-based slot machine, i.e., a slot machine where the reels are on a video screen, and a standard mechanical-based slot machine, i.e., a slot machine where the reels are on a mechanical drum or drums, more players than not will opt to play the mechanical-based slot machine. For obvious reasons, this preference would be detrimental to a level of play of a bingo-type game that uses a video-based technological aid as compared to a bingo-type game that would use a mechanical-based device, such as a mechanical technological aid.
Due to the deficiencies with the bingo-type games of the prior art, especially the efforts focused on video-based technological aids, it is desirable to provide a new and unique bingo-type game that creates the perception of a mechanical-based slot machine such that the interest of the patrons can be peaked and the level of play can be maximized.